Clamping device for structural cross-members

ABSTRACT

Transversely abutting tubular members are clamped together by a forked member having side walls and a connecting base undergripping one of the tubular members and having an arm integrally extending from each of the side walls flexibly overgripping the other tubular member. When the forked member is rotatably positioned about the abutting tubular members, the arms and the base resiliently cooperate to press the tubular members together.

United States Patent [191 Merlotti CLAMPING DEVICE FOR STRUCTURAL CROSS-MEMBERS [76] Inventor: Luigi Merlotti, 14812 Crescentwood, East Detroit, Mich. 48021 [22] Filed: July 27,1972

211 App]. N6; 275,774

[52] US. Cl. 52/760, 52/753 C, 403/398, 403/397 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6b 7/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..287/189.35, 189.36 A, 287/2092 C, 20.924, 49, 51; 52/665;

24/81CR,129 B, 20 TT, 81 B; 248/74 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,825 l/1886 Thorn 287/20.924

448,082 3/1891 Salisbury 287/20.924 1,271,350 7/1918 Moon 287/189.35

[11] 3,821,872 1451 July 2,1974

2,576.396 11/1951 Green 287/189.35 2,586,327 2/1952 Haertel 287/I89.35 3,082,897 3/1963 Highley 287/2092 c x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 411, 11 11/1966 Switzerland 287/189.35 45.134 1/1966 Germany 24/81 c Primary ExaminerJordan Franklin Assistant ExaminerWayne L. Shedd Attorney, Agent, or FirmRussel C. Wells [57] ABSTRACT Transversely abutting tubular members are clamped together by a forked member having sidewalls and a connecting base undergripping one of the tubular members and having an arm integrally extending from each of the side walls flexibly overgripping the other tubular member. When the forked member is rotatably positioned about the abutting tubular members, the arms and the base resiliently cooperate to press the tubular members together.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CLAMPING DEVICE FOR STRUCTURAL CROSS-MEMBERS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The tying is performed by manually holding the furring to the channel while wrapping the wire about the juncture, and then twisting the wire to tighten the grip and lock the tie-wire in position. This is a tedious operation generally performed by a workman awkwardly situated on a scaffold. Frequently, more than one attempt is required in order to obtain a satisfactory junction. Furthermore. due to its ductility, the tie-wire stretches over a period of time varying with the vibration and temperature at the junction and the load supported by the furring so that even satisfactory ties are not permanent.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved means for clamping structural cross-members together.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a clamping device which is effective over a long period of time and under a wide range of temperature and vibrating conditions.

It is another object of this invention to provide a clamping device capable of supporting substantial loads.

The above enumerated objects and others will become apparent from the following detailed description of a clamping device for clamping a first structural cross-member to an abutting transversely juxtaposed second structural cross-member. The clamp has a forked member with a horizontal base and parallel spaced apart side walls connected at their lower ends to the base. The first structural member is undergripped between the side walls and resting on the base. Each side wall has an arm integrally, horizontally coplanarly extending from the upper end thereof for disposition atop the second structural cross-member. A lug integrally and coplanarly depends from each of said arms at the free end thereof for overgripping the second structural cross-member. The'arms and the base resiliently cooperating together for containing or pressing the two' structural cross-members together.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the Drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the prior art illustrating tieing structural cross-members together;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the clamping device and structural members;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view illustrating the assembly step of upwardly sliding the clamping device to encase the furring;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view illustrating the assembly step of rotating the clamping device into engagement with the carrier;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view illustrating the clamping device and the structural cross-members in the assembled state; and

FIG. 6 is an elevation view illustrating the latching means. I

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the Figures by their characters of reference there is illustrated in FIG. 1 the prior art method and means of securing structural cross-members together. A carrier 10 is fixed to or suspended from per manent overhead structure 11 by any suitable means such as hanger wires 12. A furring member 20 is secured thereto in a crossed-member relationship by means of several loops of tie wires 13 which are tightly wrapped around the members and twisted off.

Referring to FIG. 2.the carrier 10 is again shown fixed to or suspended from a permanent overhead structure 11 by any suitable means, such as the hanger wires 12. The carrier 10 may be any conventional structural cross-member such as the channel member 10 shown, is used for the attachment of suspended ceiling support members or furrings 20. While the carrier 10 and furring 20 shown are channels, any configuration including a solid rod may be used. The furring 20 is to be secured to the carrier 10 so that they will be in abutting transverse juxtaposition.

The clamping device 30 is an integral forked member which provides two chambers 22 and 24. The first chamber 22 is an undergrip for the furring 20. This undergripping or furring chamber 22 is an U-shaped substantially rectangular channel formed by the substantially parallel spaced apart sides 31 of the forked memher and the base 32 which connects them at one end. The base 32 is dimensioned so that the furring 20 will lie in the first chamber 22 between the sides with its bottom surface resting on the base 32.

The second chamber 24 is an overgrip for the carrier 10. This overgripping or carrier chamber 24 is formed by a pair of recesses. Each recess is structured by one of the sides 31 and a lugged arm 33 which integrally and coplanarly extends from the unconnected end of each of sides 31. The lug 34 downwardly depends from the arm 33 so that in cooperation with the sides 31 and the arm 33 provides a substantially rectangular recess.

The outer edge of the lug 34 may be tapered to provide a camming surface 35 which will facilitate adaptation of the clamping device 30 to the carrier 10. The lower edge of each arm 33 is dimensioned so that the carrier 10 will lie between the sides 31 and the lug 34 with the lower edge of the arm 33 resting on the top of the carrier 10. j

The clamping action is provided by having the distance d, FIG. 2, from the top of the carrier chamber to the bottom of the furring chamber substantially equal to the sum of the height a of the furring 20 and the height b of the carrier 10. Consequently, when the clamping device 30 is mounted with the furring 20 and the carrier 10 in their respective chambers 22 and 24, the furring and the carrier 10 are pressed together by the resilient cooperation of the arms 33 and the base 32.

A latching means is also provided on the clamping device 30 for preventing its undesired disengagement or movement away from the cross-members l and 20. The latching means comprises of a pair of arms 37 having tabs 36 at the end. The tabs 36 extend upwardly from each arm which is integrally connected to the sides 31 at a point intermediate the ends of the sides. The tabs 36 are elongated so that they will be adjacent to and in spaced relationship with respect to the side of the carrier and are opposite the sides 31 when the clamping device 30 is in its mounted position.

To mount the clamping device 30, the furring is first manually positioned along the carrier 10 in approximately its desired location. The clamping device is then upwardly slideably mounted on the furring 20 so that the sides 31 are approximately parallel with the bottom edges of the furring 20. With the clamping device 30 in this position, the carrier 10 lies between the lugs 34 and the tabs 36, as shown in FIG. 3. From this position, the clamping device 30 is horizontally slideably moved along the furring 20 until the tabs 36 and the arms 37 engage the carrier 10 The clamping device 30 is then rotated approximately 90 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The tab-arm carrier engagement provides leverage point about which the clamping device 30 may be rotated. The camming surfaces on each of the lugs 34 function to minimize the manual effort required to position the lugs 34 around the edges of the carrier 10. While the clamping device is substantially rigid, a slight flexibility permits the lugs 34 to ride over the top of the carrier 10 so that the carrier 10 may be seated in carrier chamber 24 as shown in FIG. 5. In this position, the arms 33 resiliently cooperate with the base 32 to press the cross-members together, locking them in place.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the essential function of the latching means is more clearly illustrated. Rotational motion of the clamping device in a direction in which the sides 31 will separate from the carrier 10 could result in a release of the furring 20 and even in complete disengagement of the clamping device. This is most likely to occur, for example, when a given furring has been clamped at one end to one carrier and manually released prior to clamping the other end to a second carrier. The furring will rotate under its own weight about the first carrier until the locking action is lost. With the elongated tabs 36, however, the clamping device 30 can rotate only until the tabs 36 are displaced to contact the carrier 10. At this point further rotation of the clamping device 30 is prevented, and the furring 20 cannot be released.

Many alternatives, modifications and variations in the device described will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example. while the device has been described in its application to suspended ceiling systems,

it may be used to clamp duct systems, pipelines or other conduits to carrier members. Furthermore, vertically as well as horizontally displaced cross-members may be clamped together by the device.

There has been described a clamping device for securing together two structural cross-members. The clamping device has a pair of parallel spaced apart F shaped members wherein both arms' are of equal length. The two members are secured together by a base member attached at the free end of the leg of F shaped member. At each free end of the arms there are oppositely disposed lugs or tabs coplanar with the arms for securing one cross structural member extending therebetween with the other cross-member resting on the base and abutting the bottom of the one crossmember.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for clamping together without additional fastening means, abutting transversely juxtaposed structural members intermediate their ends, said device comprising:

a forked member having a pair of parallel spaced apart sides and a base interconnecting said sides at 7 one end thereof;

said base cooperable for undergripping one of the structural members intermediate its ends between said sides of said forked member;

a first arm member integral and coplanar with and extending in the same, transverse direction from each of said sides at the other end thereof;

lug means depending from the free end of each of said first arms in the plane thereof, said lug means having a camming surface thereon for facilitating overgripping of the other structural member, said lug means being flexibly cooperable with said sides for overgripping the other structural member intermediate its ends and resiliently cooperable with .said base for pressing the structural members together;

a second arm member coplanar with and extending in the same transverse direction from each of said sides as said first arm member, said second arm members being integrally attached at one end thereof to said sides and extending from said sides at points intermediate the ends thereof;

a third arm member integral and coplanar with and extending towards said lug means substantially perpendicularly from the other end of each said second arm, a distance sufficient for substantial engagement thereby with the other structural member;

said third arm member thereby constituting a latching means cooperable with said first arm member and said lug means for securing said sides against motion away from the other structural member.

2. A device for clamping together abutting transversely juxtaposed structural members comprising:

a forked member having a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel sides, and a connecting base cooperable for undergripping one of the structural members therebetween;

a first arm member integrally connected to each of said sides at the free end thereof and extending a distance for overgripping the other structural member, each said first arm having at the free end thereof a depending lug being flexibly cooperable with its respective side for overgripping the other structural member and resiliently cooperable with said base for pressing the structural members together; and

a second arm member integrally connected to each of said sides intermediate the ends thereof, each said second arm having an elongated tab extending from the free end thereof and parallel to said side a distance substantially equal to the length of said first arm, said second arms being arranged to extend beneath the other structural member with said tab extending along the other structural member a distance sufficient for substantial engagement therewith and cooperable with said lugs for secur- LII 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said latching meanscomprises an elongatedly tabbed arm integrally extending from and coplanar with said side, said tabbed arms being adapted to extend beneath the other structural member with said tabs extending toward said lug means. 

1. A device for clamping together without additional fastening means, abutting transversely juxtaposed structural members intermediate their ends, said device comprising: a forked member having a pair of parallel spaced apart sides and a base interconnecting said sides at one end thereof; said base cooperable for undergripping one of the structural members intermediate its ends between said sides of said forked member; a first arm member integral and coplanar with and extending in the same transverse direction from each of said sides at the other end thereof; lug means depending from the free end of each of said first arms in the plane thereof, said lug means having a camming surface thereon for facilitating overgripping of the other structural member, said lug means being flexibly cooperable with said sides for overgripping the other structural member intermediate its ends and resiliently cooperable with said base for pressing the structural members together; a second arm member coplanar with and extending in the same transverse direction from each of said sides as said first arm member, said second arm members being integrally attached at one end thereof to said sides and extending from said sides at points intermediate the ends thereof; a third arm member integral and coplanar with and extending towards said lug means substantially perpendicularly from the other end of each said second arm, a distance sufficient for substantial engagement thereby with the other structural member; said third arm member thereby constituting a latching means cooperable with said first arm member and said lug means for securing said sides against motion away from the other structural member.
 2. A device for clamping together abutting transversely juxtaposed structural members comprising: a forked member having a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel sides, and a connecting base cooperable for undergripping one of the structural members therebetween; a first arm member integrally connected to each of said sides at the free end thereof and extending a distance for overgripping the other structural member, each said first arm having at the free end thereof a depending lug being flexibly cooperable with its respective side for overgripping the other structural member and resiliently cooperable with said base for pressing the structural members together; and a second arm member integrally connected to each of said sides intermediate the ends thereof, each said second arm having an elongated tab extending from the free end thereof and parallel to said side a distance substantially equal to the length of said first arm, said second arms being arranged to extend beneath the other structural member with said tab extending along the other structural member a distance sufficient for substantial engagement therewith and cooperable with said lugs for securing said forked member against motion away from the other structural member.
 3. The device according to claim 2 wherein said side being parallel and each of said first arms and their respective tabs and each of said second arms and their respective lugs being coplanar with their respective sides.
 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said latching means comprises an elongatedly tabbed arm integrally extending from and coplanar with said side, said tabbed arms being adapted to extend beneath the other structural member with said tabs extending toward said lug means. 